Taraz

Numerous archaeological finds and monuments in the foothills of Karatau and in Talas-Assin oasis show the antiquity of settlements in the Talas River valley, supporting Taraz's claim to being the most ancient city in Kazakhstan. The history of the city is composed of several historical periods, interrupted by destruction and depopulation. The first reference historically recorded city linked with Taraz and the basis for the claim of 2000-year-old history is the fortress of Zhizhi that briefly existed at the site of modern-day Taraz in the 1st century BCE. A city known as "Taraz" (or "Talas") is then recorded in the 6th century CE (568 CE) and is known to have existed until its decline in the 13th century. …

Taraz has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) with strong continental influences. It has a mean January temperature of −3 °C (27 °F) and a mean July temperature of 25.5 °C (77.9 °F).

Zhambyl regional telecommunications department of JSC "Kazakhtelecom" provides local, long-distance, and international telephone services, mobile radiotelephone communications, as well as services for broadcasting television and radio programs. In telecommunications, work continues on the planned replacement of outdated telephone exchanges with more advanced digital stations and the transition from copper cable networks to fiber-optic networks. The national satellite communication system DAMA operates with 10 systems. The total length of roads in the region is 4117 km, including 847 km of republican roads. The city is bypassed by the republican highway A-2 Almaty – Tashkent – Termez, connecting the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. …

Goga Ashkenazi, Kazakh businesswoman and socialite Eljan Birtanov, politician. Nurtas Adambay, film director, writer and actor. Dmitriy Vaisbekker-Ivanov, writer Bibisara Assaubayeva, Grandmaster, Three-time Women's World Blitz Chess Champion